Today is October 11th, International Day of the Girl. In the spirit of supporting girls as our next generation of leaders, we would like to share this article from our allies, Girls Leadership.

CLOSING THE GAP: UNDERSTANDING HOW GIRLS OF COLOR BECOME LEADERS

EACH OCTOBER 11TH WE CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL. According to UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. There are 1.1 billion girls today, a powerful constituency for shaping a sustainable world that’s better for everyone. They are brimming with talent and creativity. But their dreams and potential are often thwarted by discrimination, violence and lack of equal opportunities. There are glaring gaps in data and knowledge about the specific needs and challenges that girls face.
That’s why we’re designing the first research study to explore how young women of color achieve their fullest potential as leaders, what’s holding them back, and why cultivating leadership for girls of color is crucial to workplace equity, inclusion, and innovation.

Research shows that girls of color are the hungriest to lead — yet they are vastly underrepresented as women in managerial and professional positions. Until now there has been no major study of girls of color and leadership, including the barriers that prevent them from entering the pipeline, and the assets that help them become leaders.
Girls Leadership is partnering with Genentech, The New York Women’s Foundation, Airbnb, Paul Weiss, Morgan Stanley, and the Billie Jean King Leadership Institute to design and field this study. We’ll share out data with schools and organizations to help them serve girls across differences of race, culture, and socioeconomics. The study’s results will help corporations understand the leadership paths of *all* employees, assist girl-serving organizations in identifying leaders, and start a national conversation on girls of color and leadership.

SUPPORT GIRLS LEADERSHIP’S RESEARCH TO MAKE EVERY DAY A DAY OF THE GIRL